Originally Posted by Essex

My assessment of the NY planned bike stands at a 50% success rate*. Some paths are better than others, but overall I really don't see anything that indicates it's a major success. Today I took the First Avenue MUP and besides some dick FRED roadies screaming at people in the path I found it blocked by several cabs (15+) in a three mile stretch, 4-5 delivery trucks forcing riders into the road, 2-3 parents pushing their baby carriages salmon-style and 2 knuckleheads crossing the lane piloting their Smartphones. In short - f#king dangerous for someone who is moving at a pace.
* my own standard/metric

I would imagine a "protected" lane would give some level of comfort to a biker going 8-12 mph. At that granny speed testosterone-filled drivers in Manhattan would probably mow you down/cut you off bigtime in a open roadway. And they do. At the end of the day if I were someone with a time schedule I would not opt to ride a bike, or go in the bike lane to get from one place to another if it were a distance greater than 2 miles. Mass transit is my best friend.

In summary - the Sadik-Khan money would have been well spent if:
1. NY city drivers were considerate and followed the rules of the road;
2. NYC enforced the rules of the bike lanes for both drivers (mostly commercial users )and pedestrians;